Editing Ness County, Kansas

{{short description|County in Kansas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
|county             = Ness County
|state              = Kansas
|type               = [[County (United States)|County]]
|ex image           = Ness County, Kansas, courthouse from SE 1.JPG
|ex image cap       = Ness County Courthouse in [[Ness City, Kansas|Ness City]] (2016)
|founded            = February 26, 1867
|named for          = Noah V. Ness
|seat wl            = Ness City
|largest city wl    = Ness City
|area_total_sq_mi   = 1075
|area_land_sq_mi    = 1075
|area_water_sq_mi   = 0.3
|area percentage    = 0.02%

|population_footnotes = <ref name="QF"/>
|population_as_of   = 2020
|population_total   = 2687
|pop_est_footnotes  =
|pop_est_as_of      =
|population_est     =
|population_density_sq_mi = 2.5

|district           = 1st
|time zone          = Central
|website            = {{URL|http://www.nesscountyks.com/|nesscountyks.com}}
}}

'''Ness County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Kansas]].  Its [[county seat]] and largest city is [[Ness City, Kansas|Ness City]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>  As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the county population was 2,687.<ref name="QF">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts; Ness County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nesscountykansas/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818211602/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nesscountykansas/POP010220 |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>  The county was named for Noah Ness, a corporal of the 7th Kansas Cavalry.<ref>Kansas Place-Names, John Rydjord, University of Oklahoma Press, 1972, {{ISBN|0-8061-0994-7}}</ref>

==History==
{{See also|History of Kansas}}
Ness County was established on February 26, 1867.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ness County, Kansas - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society |url=https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/ness-county-kansas/15323 |access-date=April 24, 2024 |website=www.kshs.org}}</ref> It was the site of an 1867 confrontation between the Cheyenne and Sioux tribes and General [[Winfield Scott Hancock]] at the Indian Village on Pawnee Fork, where the fighting helped inform [[George Armstrong Custer|George A. Custer]]'s tactics throughout his career.<ref name=":0" />

The county was first organized in 1873 but disestablished a year later. It was reorganized on April 14, 1880.<ref name=":0" /> The founding of Ness City, the county seat, followed closely after the county's organization in 1867.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Gribben |first=Brian |title=Research Guides: Kansas Heritage: Ness County |url=https://fhsuguides.fhsu.edu/kansasheritage/nesscounty |access-date=April 24, 2024 |website=fhsuguides.fhsu.edu |language=en}}</ref> Ross Calhoun, the "Father of Ness City," arrived in 1877 or 1878, opened the first general store, and formally laid out the town in October 1878, inviting settlers to join him.<ref name=":1" /> A bitter county seat fight ensued among Ness City, Sidney, and Clarinda, lasting from 1880 to 1883, with accusations of bribery and fraud, before Ness City was confirmed as the county seat.<ref name=":1" />

Ness County's population peaked in the [[1930 United States census|1930 census]] at 8,358 and has steadily declined since then, reaching 2,687 in the 2020 census.   From 2010 to 2020, the county's population dropped by 13.5%, the third largest percentage drop in the state.<ref name="population">Self, Matthew (31 May 2023). [https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-news/these-are-the-top-10-fastest-growing-shrinking-counties-in-kansas/ These are the top 10 fastest-growing, shrinking counties in Kansas], [[KSNT]]</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1075|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1075|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.3|sqmi}} (0.02%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Trego County, Kansas|Trego County]] (north)
* [[Ellis County, Kansas|Ellis County]] (northeast)
* [[Rush County, Kansas|Rush County]] (east)
* [[Pawnee County, Kansas|Pawnee County]] (southeast)
* [[Hodgeman County, Kansas|Hodgeman County]] (south)
* [[Finney County, Kansas|Finney County]] (southwest)
* [[Lane County, Kansas|Lane County]] (west)
* [[Gove County, Kansas|Gove County]] (northwest)
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
[[Image:USA Ness County, Kansas age pyramid.svg|thumb|175px|left|[[Population pyramid]] based on 2000 census age data]]
{{US Census population
|1880= 3722
|1890= 4944
|1900= 4535
|1910= 5883
|1920= 7490
|1930= 8358
|1940= 6864
|1950= 6322
|1960= 5470
|1970= 4791
|1980= 4498
|1990= 4033
|2000= 3454
|2010= 3107
|2020= 2687
|estyear=2023
|estimate=2618
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 27, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 27, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ks190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 27, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 27, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF"/>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 3,454 people, 1,516 households, and 977 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 1,835 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2|/mi2|/km2|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 98.23% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.06% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.23% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.09% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.49% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.51% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 1,516 households, out of which 26.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 33.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.90% under the age of 18, 4.60% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 24.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,340, and the median income for a family was $39,775. Males had a median income of $27,892 versus $20,037 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $17,787. About 6.50% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.50% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==

===Presidential elections===
{{Hidden
|headercss  = background: #ccccff; font-size: 100%; width: 100%;
|contentcss = text-align: left; font-size: 100%; width: 100%;
|header     = Presidential election results
|content    =
{{PresHead|place=Ness County, Kansas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|1,205|129|29|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|1,339|149|25|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,228|162|64|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|1,209|218|17|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|1,207|289|29|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|1,407|382|29|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|1,420|383|73|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|1,336|428|196|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|967|565|686|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|1,230|887|57|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|1,779|540|43|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|1,657|616|182|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|1,016|1,106|62|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|1,539|652|60|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|1,352|767|203|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,034|1,562|19|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|1,683|960|12|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|1,876|758|16|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,288|664|48|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|1,689|1,130|88|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|1,745|876|45|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|1,826|1,230|56|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,302|2,002|18|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,409|1,772|123|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|2,058|784|36|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,629|541|350|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,402|492|129|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|927|1,213|324|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|232|458|590|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|635|461|228|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|687|188|293|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|511|583|44|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|354|526|27|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1892|Populist|495|0|619|Kansas}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|891|470|195|Kansas}}
}}<!-- End of Hidden template -->

Ness County is presently overwhelmingly Republican, although it was won by [[Jimmy Carter]] for the Democratic Party as recently as 1976. However, apart from Carter and [[Lyndon Johnson]] in 1964, no Democrat since 1940 has reached forty percent of the county's ballots. Since Carter's win, however, [[Michael Dukakis]] in 1988 which was during [[1988–89 North American drought|a major drought]] in the Great Plains, had reached so much as 26 percent of the county's vote. In 2016, [[Hillary Clinton]] received less than half even this modest figure. This county was Republican presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]]'s third strongest in the state in [[2024 United States presidential election|2024]], after [[Wallace County, Kansas|Wallace]] and [[Sheridan County, Kansas|Sheridan]] counties, the former of which gave Trump over 90% of the vote.<ref>https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article295391594.html</ref>

===Laws===
Following amendment to the [[Kansas Constitution]] in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or [[dry county|"dry"]], county until 2004, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm| title=Map of Wet and Dry Counties| publisher=Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue|date=November 2006| access-date=December 26, 2007}}</ref>

==Education==

===Unified school districts===
* [[Western Plains USD 106]]
* [https://www.nesscityschools.org/ Ness City USD 303]
;School district office in neighboring county
* [[La Crosse USD 395]]

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Ness Co, Ks, USA.png|thumb|300px|2005 map of Ness County<ref name="County-Map-Current"/> ([[:File:Kansas official transportation map legend.png|map legend]])]]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Ness County.<ref name="County-Map-Current">{{cite web |title=General Highway Map of Ness County, Kansas |url=https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/ness.PDF |publisher=[[Kansas Department of Transportation]] (KDOT) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004045843/https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/ness.PDF |archive-date=October 4, 2023 |date=December 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cities===
{{div col}}
* [[Bazine, Kansas|Bazine]]
* [[Brownell, Kansas|Brownell]]
* [[Ness City, Kansas|Ness City]] (county seat)
* [[Ransom, Kansas|Ransom]]
* [[Utica, Kansas|Utica]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
* [[Arnold, Kansas|Arnold]]
* [[Beeler, Kansas|Beeler]]
{{div col end}}

===Ghost towns===
* [[Nonchalanta, Kansas|Nonchalanta]]<ref>[http://www.kansasagland.com/dead_towns/not-a-lot-left-of-nonchalanta-but-memories/article_920275f0-742f-533a-a326-1e584cbcaa9f.html Not a lot left of Nonchalanta but memories; March 13, 2016.]</ref>

===Townships===
Ness County is divided into ten [[Civil township|townships]]. None of the cities within the county are considered ''governmentally independent'', and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;"
|+align="bottom"|Sources: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020802223743/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html 2000 U.S. Gazetteer] from the [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
|- style="background:#ccccff"
! Township !! [[FIPS place code|FIPS]] !! Population<br/>center
! Population !! Population<br/>density<br/><small>/km<sup>2</sup> (/sq&nbsp;mi)</small>
! Land area<br/><small>km<sup>2</sup> (sq&nbsp;mi)</small> !! Water area<br/><small>km<sup>2</sup> (sq&nbsp;mi)</small> !! Water %
! Geographic coordinates
|-
| Bazine || 04800 || [[Bazine, Kansas|Bazine]] || 441 || 1 (4) || 312 (120) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|38|27|30|N|99|41|15|W|}}
|-
| Center || 11925 || [[Ness City, Kansas|Ness City]] || 1,567 || 13 (33) || 124 (48) || 0 (0) || 0.01% || {{coord|38|27|40|N|99|53|45|W|}}
|-
| Eden || 19775 || || 14 || 0 (1) || 266 (103) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|38|28|57|N|100|8|49|W|}}
|-
| Forrester || 23875 || || 109 || 1 (1) || 206 (80) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|38|30|45|N|99|59|28|W|}}
|-
| Franklin || 24475 || || 132 || 0 (1) || 372 (144) || 0 (0) || 0.02% || {{coord|38|21|22|N|99|54|25|W|}}
|-
| Highpoint || 32100 || || 93 || 0 (1) || 312 (121) || 0 (0) || 0.08% || {{coord|38|20|13|N|99|42|26|W|}}
|-
| Johnson || 35550 || || 76 || 0 (1) || 308 (119) || 0 (0) || 0.05% || {{coord|38|18|37|N|100|5|25|W|}}
|-
| Nevada || 50125 || [[Ransom, Kansas|Ransom]] || 479 || 2 (4) || 278 (107) || 0 (0) || 0.04% || {{coord|38|37|55|N|99|55|22|W|}}
|-
| Ohio || 52400 || [[Utica, Kansas|Utica]] || 345 || 1 (3) || 298 (115) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|38|38|28|N|100|7|45|W|}}
|-
| Waring || 75400 || [[Brownell, Kansas|Brownell]] || 142 || 0 (1) || 308 (119) || 0 (0) || 0.03% || {{coord|38|37|50|N|99|42|56|W|}}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Kansas}}
{{See also Kansas counties}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
;Notes
{{Notelist}}

==Further reading==
{{Kansas books}}
* [https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/225062/ ''Handbook of Ness County, Kansas'']; C.S. Burch Publishing Co; 42 pages; 1887.
* [https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/209430/ ''Standard Atlas of Ness County, Kansas'']; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 64 pages; 1906.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ness County, Kansas}}
;County
* {{Official website|http://www.nesscountyks.com/|Ness County - Official Website}}
* [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=41260468 Ness County - Directory of Public Officials]
;Maps
* Ness County Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/ness.PDF Current], [http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burtransplan/maps/PastPublishedCounty.asp Historic], KDOT
* Kansas Highway Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/MapsState.asp Current], [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/HistoricStateMaps.asp Historic], KDOT
* Kansas Railroad Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/BurTransPlan/maps/RRStateMap.asp Current], [http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/227379 1996], [http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/227380 1915], KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

{{Geographic location
|Center    = Ness County, Kansas
|North     = [[Trego County, Kansas|Trego County]]
|Northeast = [[Ellis County, Kansas|Ellis County]]
|East      = [[Rush County, Kansas|Rush County]]
|Southeast = [[Pawnee County, Kansas|Pawnee County]]
|South     = [[Hodgeman County, Kansas|Hodgeman County]]
|Southwest = [[Finney County, Kansas|Finney County]]
|West      = [[Lane County, Kansas|Lane County]]
|Northwest = [[Gove County, Kansas|Gove County]]
}}

{{Ness County, Kansas}}
{{Kansas}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|38|28|N|99|55|W|type:adm2nd_region:US-KS|display=title}}

[[Category:Ness County, Kansas| ]]
[[Category:Kansas counties]]
[[Category:1867 establishments in Kansas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1867]]